CONSHOHOCKEN — Almost on cue, the clouds separated and a day that started out dreary and overcast became bright and sunny as representatives from Conshohocken Borough Council, Malvern Preparatory School, and the Haverford School formally broke ground for the Conshohocken Rowing Center on Sunday afternoon.

The Conshohocken Rowing Center, which will be located on a 100-foot stretch of land along the Schuylkill River that is owned by the borough, will serve as both a home and practice facility for the schools and as a community center for residents who wish to gain access to the river for rowing and kayaking.

Sunday’s groundbreaking was the culmination of nearly three years of work by both the schools and borough, marking the first time that Conshohocken has hosted a recreational facility that will be both privately and publicly operated.

“The plan for a row house somewhere on the riverfront of Conshohocken is not new. The way to get it done was never clear,” explained Mike Savona, the solicitor for borough council. “Council here in Conshohocken has taken a step into the 21st century. To begin to build public-private partnerships like this enables everybody to benefit.”

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Because of the joint partnership with the center, members of the community will have a unique opportunity to become familiar with rowing both by having the ability to watch the teams from both schools compete and because of the instruction that will be available.

“Being able to offer this opportunity to other people in the community means a great deal to us,” said Jonathan Stephanik, the head coach of the Haverford School crew team. “We hope to not only progress our programs here but also venture out into the community and help other people learn the sport of rowing.”

Along with hosting events for the Malvern Preparatory School and the Haverford School crew teams and providing community members access to the river for kayaking and rowing, the Fellowship House of Conshohocken is also planning on working with the Conshohocken Rowing Center to provide swim lessons to community members.

According to McConnell, the rowing center is the first of several planned facilities that are part of the borough’s revitalization efforts for that area.

“Now that development is pretty much complete on the river, we have started to rough out our master plan for the river,” explained Conshohocken Borough Council President Paul McConnell. “This will be the first structure for the good of the people on the river.”

Once complete, the Conshohocken Rowing Center will have multiple boat bays, locker rooms, club rooms, and a deck to view the river and while completion is still many months away, Sunday’s ceremony was a major step towards the revitalization of the Conshohocken Riverfront.

“Today is a special day,” said McConnell. “This is a step in bringing the river back to life for everybody.”